1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a train control apparatus for wirelessly controlling a train via a plurality of ground devices disposed along a train travel path.
2. Description of Related Art
A train control apparatus of dividing a train travel path into a plurality of control sections and wirelessly controlling a train via ground devices disposed for the control sections has been practically used. In such a train control apparatus, each of the ground devices has a radio set and transmits and receives a signal related to a train control to and from a vehicle radio set mounted in a train. In a case in which a train enters from a control section to another control section continuing the control section, it is necessary to pass the control on the train from a ground device controlling the control section to a ground device controlling the another control section. As a technique addressing the necessity, there is a technique of passing the control on the train at the time point the train reaches a control section border as a border between successive control sections. Japanese Laid-Open Patent (Kokai) Publication No. 2008-080981 (JP 2008-080981 A) discloses a technique of setting a train location common detection region extending forward and backward in the train travel direction using the control section border as a center, sharing train location information transmitted from a vehicle radio set between ground devices controlling the control sections during the train travels in the region and, when both of the ground devices detect that the train reaches the control section border, passing over the control on the train.
In the technique of JP 2008-080981 A, in the train location common detection region, by transmitting the same train location information from the single vehicle radio set to two ground devices controlling neighboring control sections, both of the ground devices can detect the present location of the train. However, to prevent signal crosstalk between different control sections, there may be a case in which different communication conditions must be set in the control sections or the ground devices in practice. JP 2008-080981 A does not give an explicit teaching regarding this problem.